Website:
My forumGender:
FemaleLocation:
NCOccupation:
Attendant at indoor bungee jumpAge:
20Member Since:
July 1, 2004Answers:
2285Last Update:
March 8, 2014Visitors:
203845Favorite Columnists
karenR
sillyrob
DangerNerd
christina
Razhie
isis
Xenolan
russianspy1234
Cux
Erinn_the_bamf
selectopaque
more...
Main Categories:
Babysitting
Sports
Colleges & Universities
View All
about
Hey Everyone :) I'm Kate and a level 2 mod on here. I've had this account since July 2004, so I've been on here since I was 13! Wow ... crazy for me to think how long ago that was. I will admit I don't check in as often as I once did, but being away at college, being in a sorority, and having a job when I'm not at school is very time consuming. I still try to help out as much as possible, and if you send me a question I WILL answer it. This site helped me a LOT when I was in high school and had a lot of questions, and I'm here to help anyone who needs it :) Feel free to write in my forum or send me a question any time!
advice
i've grown up going to a christian church and school and i pray everyday but i've never felt God's presence before...
i try to have faith and seek him but it's hard when i don't feel he's there and i feel like there's a hole in my life and i feel lonely but i just don't feel like i'm a christian even though i want to be.
how do i become a christian even though i've already been praying and going to church and have seeked him but don't feel anything??
I don't know exactly what to say to you for the reason that I've felt that same way for a while now.
Like you, I want to feel God and just know in my heart that He's here, but I've never really felt that way.
I expressed my feelings to a religious friend (I believe she's Baptist), and this is what she told me: (By the way, her daughter was just a few months old when she wrote this - and I think she also mentioned her daughter because she and I share a birthday)
"You don't always feel God. He isn't a feeling. That is an assumption that many people make--that it is an emotional experience to "find God". God wants your faith and trust much more than He wants you emotions. Trust me--there is a God. Have you seen my amazing baby girl lately? Someone had to be in charge of designing that whole process--conception, growth, birth. Most Christians take God for granted just like you described--the mindset that you only pray/talk to God when you need Him. When things are going good, most just forget. But He wants us to depend on Him. I feel much more confident knowing that God is planning out my life without my help. That's how I got my wonderful husband and adorable daughter. It's how I wound up coming to Concord and teaching your class. God puts us where He wants/needs us."
So that's what she told me - that God isn't a feeling and that just because I don't feel him deep down, that doesn't mean he isn't there. I try to remind myself that not feeling him doesn't mean he isn't there, and trust me - I know exactly what you're going through.
It's still hard on me to try and believe in Him because it just feels weird to put my trust in someone/something that I don't feel at all. I have friends who are so into God and religion, which makes is awkward because they appear to have the feeling that you and I seem to be missing.
I just wanted to comment this and let you know that I'm going through the same thing you are. So if you ever want to talk about this, let me know - message me to my inbox or anything.
It's really complicated, the way that you and I feel. It's like, I want to be Christian, but I just can't put my full self into it if I don't feel it. Maybe you feel a little differently about it than I do, but reading your question just made me feel like, thankkkk goodness I'm not the only one who feels that way! You made me feel like I'm not alone or crazy for feeling the way I do -- like I want to believe in God and put my faith in him, but it's hard when I don't actually *feel* his presence. So now I hope that, through answering this, I let you know that you're not the only person who feels this way!
S_C ((18/f))
(Rating: 5) thanks this was really helpful! =)